Gregory A. Patrick

08/29/2021

Jaiden – Chapter 126

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Greg Patrick

 

Peyton was standing on the deck drinking a cup of coffee and looking at the mountains when Jaiden walked up behind him. "Jaiden, if you don't stop that, you are going to be horribly tired at work tomorrow; we don't have three hours before we have to get some sleep."

 

"Right now, I don't care, Peyton. Your scent is so intoxicating to me, just as it was the first day we met; I can't get enough of it." "Rubbing the front of my shorts is going to quickly get you in trouble." "You seem to be enjoying the attention because you have grown at least four inches in height and girth." "Hon, I realize that, and I also realize that my grease gun is about to lube your hand." "Sweetheart, it's a shame that we don't have any donuts; they would be good with your sweet cream."

"Jaiden, you are a hopeless romantic." "A romantic, yes; hopeless, no. I'm positive that at some point, I am going to get what I want." "Alright, that does it; come with me!"

 

Peyton quickly stripped Jaiden of his clothing when they got to their bedroom and closed and locked the door. Only a few more seconds were needed for Peyton to be as naked as a jaybird.

 

Jaiden was quickly pushed onto their bed and topped by Peyton. The two were making out as if they had just learned they loved each other. Sweat was pouring from their bodies as they writhed around like two mating snakes – totally entwined with each other. Their rifles fired and emptied their bodies of every drop of love nectar they had. Jaiden got up, got a warm, wet washcloth, and cleaned Peyton and himself. When that had been done, they held each other in a warm embrace and fell asleep.

 

The following day, Jasper arrived at work early. Charley asked him how his weekend went after they had dinner together and talked about things the guys did to keep love alive and well in their home. Jasper walked to Charley and gave him a tight hug, and told him thank you. "So, Jasper, things went that well?" "Better than that, Charley. Saturday night was like the first night of our honeymoon. We talked Sunday morning, and we made an agreement to keep the peace no matter what; no screaming, no yelling, and no cursing. If we can't talk rationally about a perceived problem, we wait to discuss it calmly. If that point doesn't arrive, we drop the subject." "That is great. I hope things continue to improve and your marriage becomes as good as it can be."

 

"Charley, I have no doubt that will be the case after Saturday." When Jasper saw Dale, he hugged him like he had hugged Charley and told Dale the same things he said to Charley. That exchange of information made Dale's day, and he whistled to himself all day.

 

Not only were Charley and Dale having the best day in a long time. In addition, Jaiden and Peyton were having the same extraordinary day. Peyton walked out of a patient's room and saw Jaiden dancing down the hall with a patient who had not been out of bed in weeks. The patient and Jaiden hilariously laughed as Peyton made a video of them together and sent it to Jaiden's mom.

 

Dr. Mom walked to the front office and viewed the video with her staff. Everybody smiled when they saw Jaiden with his patient, but Dr. Mom let a few tears roll from her eyes as she thought about how much Jaiden reminded her of his dad. "Ashley, my son is way more than I could have ever hoped he would be; I am incredibly proud of that young man. Being Jaiden's mom is the greatest honor I have ever received." "Dr. Reynolds, I fully understand. Everybody loves your son because of the amazing person he has been and always will be."

 

"Whenever Jaiden's name is mentioned in the news, the temple buzzes with pride like a busy beehive. Everything that is said is like golden honey – simply pure and sweet. So, when we have our Hadassah meeting on Saturday afternoon, you should show that video to the ladies." "That's a good idea, Ashley; thanks for mentioning it." "Your welcome, Doc."

 

Dr. Mom had a vacation scheduled in two weeks and had wondered where she would go and what she would do. That night, she called Peyton and asked if it would be OK to fly to Memphis and spend her two-week vacation with him, Jaiden, and their family. Peyton told her that would be awesome, and the children, all ten of them, would be ecstatic to see her. "Peyton, if you would please do me one favor: don't tell Jaiden I am coming until I get to your home. I'll rent a car at the airport and be there Saturday morning."

 

"One of the things I would like to do is to go to the hospital and try to observe Jaiden interacting with his patients without him knowing I am there. The videos you have sent me have made me so proud of him and of you; I just want to see him doing that."

 

"Mom, bring your office cloak, and I will have everything set up. As long as you show yourself as a doctor, the hospital won't have a problem with you being there to observe Jaiden. Besides, I know you are still licensed to practice medicine in Tennessee. I think we both would love to have your opinion of how well we are doing and perhaps what we could do better."

 

"Peyton, I have kept up what you and Jaiden have been doing. The reputation you have forged for yourselves is exemplary. I don't know if it is possible to do much better at this stage in your career. All my friends there have nothing but good things to say."

 

"Thanks for saying that, Mom; it makes me proud of our work. As soon as you know when your flight will arrive, let me know, and I will let you know if we will be at the house or the hospital." "Thanks, Peyton; I'll let you know next week when I book my flight."

 

Peyton slipped a note to Dale at lunch that day saying he needed to talk with him and Charley when Jaiden wasn't around. Dale nodded slightly to let Peyton know he understood.

 

When Peyton and Jaiden got home that night, Jaiden went to take a warm shower to help him relax. Peyton took that time to talk to Ginny, Granny, Charley, and Dale to let them know Jaiden's mom was making a surprise vacation visit for two weeks. She didn't want Jaiden told until she walked in the door of the house.

 

The minute he told Ginny and Granny of Dr. Mom's plan, wheels started turning in the lady's heads about how to plan for Dr. Mom's visit to be relaxing and joyful.

 

The night before Dr. Mom was scheduled to arrive, Ginny called Peyton and asked him to walk over to her home for a few minutes. "Peyton, are you and Jaiden off on Saturday?" "Ginny, we'll go to the hospital at six in the morning and make sure everything is going well. We should be off by noon to head home."

 

"Good; Here's the plan: Charley and Dale are going to bring the children over at twelve to see Gampy. First, I'll call you and ask you and Jaiden to come over to see Ezra and make sure he is OK. Then, you can bring Jaiden and his mom over so Granny and I can surprise them with an old-fashioned southern lunch. We'll have southern fried chicken, vegetables, and broccoli salad. We won't tell Jaiden we have Beano here until he starts fretting."

 

"Ginny. You and Granny are unbelievable! That's a great plan that Jaiden will love. Let me give you some money to buy the food. If it's not enough money, let me know, and I will give you some more. Buy whatever you and Granny need as well." "Thank you, Peyton. I want this to be special for Jaiden and his mom." "It will be, Ginny; don't worry about that."

 

Saturday morning arrived, and Jaiden and Peyton arrived at the hospital at six that morning. At ten, Peyton got a call that Jaiden's mom arrived at the airport, picked up her rental car, and was headed to Ginny's house. She said she would see them shortly after twelve when they got off work at the hospital.

 

Shortly after twelve, Ginny called Peyton as planned and asked him to bring Jaiden to her house to check Gampy and make sure he was OK. When the two arrived at Ginny's home, Jaiden wondered who was there in a Corvette.

 

Peyton said he didn't know, but they would find out as soon as they got inside. When they got to Ginny's front door, Dale answered the door and looked as if he was worried. When everyone was inside the house, Jaiden's mom popped out of a bedroom and yelled, "surprise!"

 

All the babies were crowded around their grandmother and ready to play when they saw their dads. "Mom, when did you get here?" "About an hour and a half ago. Seems your husband and your brothers kept the secret really well." "Surprise, Jaiden!" "Yep, babe, surprise. We've known for two weeks that Mom was coming to visit and to see where we are working and what we are doing; well, that and spoil her grandchildren."

 

"And you cleared the visit to the hospital with the administration?" "I did, and I found out Mom is still listed as being on staff at St. Jude's." "Mom, you are still on staff?" "I am, Jaiden; I never said anything about it because it wasn't something anyone besides myself needed to know." "Mom, that is awesome. Since you are still on staff, you can take my shift tomorrow, and I can stay home and get some much-needed sleep."

 

"Hold your horses, son; I'm on vacation, and I want to spoil my grandchildren." "Mom, that's what I am afraid of. If you are at the hospital, you can't spoil them and make us take a month to get them back under control."

 

Ginny spoke up and said, "Jaiden, you know you have never had to get those babies under control; Alaina Noelle always takes care of that for you." "You're right, Ginny; I just hate to see that girl have to work overtime."

 

"Jaiden, you're a mess. That girl isn't going to let things get out of hand to the point that she has to work overtime; you know that!" "Alright, I give up and surrender to the ladies around here." "Granny said, "Wise move, son; wise move."

 

The high chairs were already brought to Ginny's house and were at the breakfast room table. The adults would be sitting in the main dining room next to the breakfast room. The children were placed in their chairs, and Ginny and Granny began putting their food in front of them. When Jaiden saw blackeyed peas, butterbeans, and broccoli salad, he got a bit miffed. He said he thought they all agreed the children wouldn't get that combination of vegetables at one sitting. Ginny looked at Jaiden and replied, "Jaiden, we decided the children wouldn't get those three vegetables together at one sitting without Beano; and I have the Beano in my hand.

 

That said, Ginny put one drop of Beano on a spoon of the broccoli salad and fed it to each of the children. Jaiden had put his head in his hands and was shaking it to the left and right in quick succession.

 

Peyton walked over to Jaiden and whispered in his ear that his mom would be watching the children tonight. They would be getting to bed early and having some fun. With that news, Jaiden cracked a grin from ear to ear.

 

Ginny and Granny had fried chicken legs for the children. They pulled the meat off the bones and finely chopped it so the children could enjoy the southern delicacy without any problems. The babies tasted the chicken but scarfed down the broccoli salad first. Dr. Mom commented that she had never seen small children eating broccoli as her grandbabies were. Jaiden said it had to be the sweet cream in the mixture that appealed to the babies.

 

Ginny told him she didn't think so and said to watch what she was about to do. She got some steamed broccoli off the stove and put a little bit on each child's plate. They left the other items on their plates alone until they had eaten all of the broccoli. Jaiden looked at Ginny and Granny and said, "If that doesn't beat all. They actually like the broccoli, not everything that is mixed in with it." Granny said, "we told ya."

 

You guys don't know it, but your children like boiled cabbage just as well. Peyton said, "eye yai yai!" And if you guys think broccoli presents a problem, the children like baked beans, too, but we took care of the gas problems so you wouldn't have to smell the after-effects.

 

"Ginny, what else do the children like that we don't know about?" "Barbecue and fried chicken livers." "You are kidding, right?" "Not at all, Jaiden. I have some chicken livers fried as well as the chicken, so I'll show you." When the children saw the mashed chicken livers, they began bouncing in their seats with anticipation.

 

"Peyton, I'm sorry, Sweetheart. You love chicken livers, and you haven't been getting them because you thought the children wouldn't like them. So, we're going to B. B. Kings tonight and get you a large plate of fried chicken livers and let you eat them to your heart's content. I'll even try some off your plate if you don't mind." Peyton said, "Jaiden, you may try some off my plate, but I'm warning you, you're going to love them." "If I do, then I'll order me a plate full."

 

"Charley said, "Jaiden, Dale, and I are going to order some off the bat; we love those things. They are delicious with a tangy southern mustard sauce or dipped in brown gravy. Fresh cut French fries dipped in the brown gravy are delicious with the chicken livers. And then there are the fried green tomatoes with Louisiana Hot Sauce; a meal just doesn't get any better."

 

Dr. Mom said, "fried green tomatoes, Charley?" "Yes, mam. You dredge them in flour, dip them in egg whites, and then coat them with a combination of flour and cornmeal." "I have to admit, that does sound good." "Mom, once you try them, you will probably never want French fries again." Ginny looked at Jaiden's mom and said, "Dr. Reynolds, Charley ain't kiddin'. Fried green tomatoes are some good eatin'."

 

"Mom, something else that is really good is batter fried chitlins." "Charley, now I know you aren't telling the truth; I've tasted them boiled and batter-fried, and they taste like pontificated porcine fecal matter." "Like what, Mom?" "Charley, since the Reverend and the Deacon are sitting at the table with us, I'll clean up the explanation of what I said: PIG POOP!" "Oh, OK."

 

"Mom, you remember meeting Greg, don't you?' "I do, Charley; why?" "Whenever someone tells him they don't like a particular southern food, he always tells them, "You've never had it cooked properly." "Son, when it comes to chitterlings, there is no proper way to cook them. You can sling the poop out of them, pull the intestines through your fingers and slip the poop out of them. You can hook one end of the intestines onto the end of a hosepipe and wash them out, and they are still going to taste like pig poop."

 

The Reverend looked at Charley and said, "Son, you need to listen to Dr. Reynolds. Chitterlings taste exactly like the way she has described them. Do you know that is the only thing pigs won't eat!" "Really, Reverend?" "Yep, sure enough. They'll lap up each other's pee, but the pig crap, they leave anything to do with that alone."

 

The Reverend turned his head toward the kitchen and asked, "Geraldine, sweetheart, can we change tomorrow night's menu from pork chops to meatloaf?" "Why, Taylor?" "I just talked myself out of wanting fried pork chops!" When the Reverend said that, Jaiden's mom began clapping her hands and laughing." Frankly, the way the Reverend said what he did was as funny as anything Steve Harvey ever told in any of his comedy shows.

 

Everybody had finished their meal and was sitting having an after-meal coffee Dale had made. Jaiden motioned for Ginny and Granny to walk over to him. When they did, he motioned for them to bend over like he had something private to tell them.

 

When the ladies bent over, Jaiden put his hand behind their neck and pulled their faces close, and kissed them on the cheek as he said, "Granny, Ginny, thank you for doing this today. It was sweet of you to surprise Mom and me. I love you both."

 

Granny said, "sweetie, we love you too. You are a good young man, and it is an honor for me to have met and gotten to know you four young men." Gampy and the Reverend seconded what Granny said. Dr. Mom looked at her four sons and beamed with pride at what Granny said. She didn't birth Charley and Dale, but she loved them just as much as if she had.

 

"Charley, can you run up to Walmart with me for a minute and help me pick up a few things?" "Sure, Jaiden; let's go." When the two guys got into Jaiden's car, Charley asked what they would get at Walmart. "Charley, I am going to get a couple of ice cream churns, several bags of ice, some rock salt, heavy cream, and some extra Stevia, and we are going to make homemade ice cream for dessert after dinner. B. B. King's food is over the top good, and I thought it would be fun to top the night off with something everybody will love. It'll be a time of fun family fellowship and storytelling.

 

Everybody was treated to dinner at B. B. Kings by Jaiden and Peyton. All four of the guys ordered chicken livers, and Peyton was right: Jaiden loved them. He ordered chicken livers and fries for the children and even let them have boiled cabbage and mashed-up field peas. The chicken livers were delightfully creamy, so the children could bite and chew them with no problems.

 

When the children finished their chicken livers, they asked their dads for more and were granted their requests. Jaiden asked his mom where the children were putting all the food they were eating. She told Jaiden it didn't matter because what went into their little stomachs...would come out in the morning. Just make sure he had some cotton balls and mentholated salve for his nose when he took the babies to the potty.

 

When they got home, Dale made two pots of coffee, and Jaiden washed the ice cream churns and made the ice cream mix. He got the churns started as the children played in the yard, and the adults visited with each other. The one thing that was great about the evening was that there was a lot of laughing among the adults and squeals and laughter from the children. The evening, by all accounts, was perfect!

 

"Hey, guys, did you like the chicken livers Dad got for you?" "All the babies started clapping their hands and wiggling in their car seats. Jason and Chuck said, "Da, gu," giving their mark of approval on the dinner they ate. When Jaiden asked if they liked the peas and cabbage, Nathan Robert, the big eater in the group, looked at his dad and asked, "muh, Da." "Sorry boys, the food is all gone."

 

"Jaiden, I don't think Nathan liked hearing there wasn't any more food." "Mom, I think that boy would eat until he exploded if we would let him; eating is his favorite pastime. If we stayed in the south after finishing our residency, he would weigh 200 pounds by the time he was 3 years old; he loves southern food, and I am right there with him. The food here in the south is so good that it's difficult not to eat the wrong things all the time."

 

"Jaiden, out of curiosity, what are some of the foods you like the most?" "Mom, at the top of the list is Popeye's spicy chicken and red beans and rice. I loved their dirty rice, but someone in corporate decided to take that off the menu. I wonder if that person knows how many people have gravitated to Bo Jangle's to get dirty rice. Their chicken is delicious, as is their dirty rice. Popeye's dirty rice was a rung higher on the ladder, but they chose to remove that option."

 

"What food do you like to get when you eat out." "Mom, that's the question any of us could answer for Jaiden." "How so, Peyton? Jason's deli has three relatively new salads that Jaiden seems to be hooked on: Bistro Steak, Salmon Pacifica, and Barbecue-Ranch. The Bistro Steak salad is his favorite with Jalapeno-Ranch dressing. My favorite is the Salmon Pacifica, but I mix half of the vinaigrette with some avocado vinaigrette to cut down on the sweetness of the dressing." The salads sound interesting; I'll have to try one before I go home."

 

Jaiden's mom shadowed him all the next day at the hospital. She was amazed at what he had learned at St. Jude's and was complimentary of the progress his patients were making. She suggested in one case that Jaiden might want to consider giving the child an injection of vitamin B to boost his red cell levels.

 

As soon as lunch was over, Jaiden went to the floor nurse's station and ordered the injection for the child. When he checked the blood values the next day, the red blood cell level had risen and was in the low range of normal. The Chief of Pediatrics reviewed lab results for Jaiden's patients to ensure their care was top-notch. He noticed the rise in one patient's red blood cells in a relatively short time and called Jaiden to talk about what he had done to bring that about. "Dr. Peterson, I gave the child an injection of vitamin B-12 after the doctor who was shadowing me yesterday suggested trying that. I gave the child the infusion, and you have the results before you." "Jaiden, who was the doctor?" "She is still on staff here, and her name is Dr. Peggy Reynolds." "The Peggy Reynolds, wife of Dr. Abe Reynolds who once practiced here. That would be her, Dr. Peterson."

 

"Jaiden, she was an amazing doctor when she was here years ago. I wish I had known she was here; I would have loved to see her." "Doc, she is in town and staying at my home; she's my mother." "Jaiden, are you kidding me?" "No, Sir. I'll text you her cell number, and you can call her. I think she will be back at the hospital later this afternoon when I get some of the children out of bed to move around a bit to judge their strength." "Will you please call me when she gets here?" "I will." "Thanks, Jaiden; I'll speak with you shortly."

 

At 3:30, Jaiden's mom met him on his assigned floor. She would be observing his behavior with his patients when he got them out of bed to get some light exercise.

 

"Mom, one of the hospital's administrators wants to speak with you about shadowing me this morning. Let me get him on the phone. "The is Dr. Jaiden, is the Chief in?" "He is, Dr. Jaiden; hold the line for a moment." "Hello, Jaiden; what can I do to help you?" "The person with whom you wanted to speak is here; let me hand her the telephone."

 

"Hello, this is Dr. Peggy Reynolds." "Peggy, this is Alfred Peterson; how are you after all these years?" "Al, I'm doing well. I have been getting good news on my son's work here at the hospital, so I took a vacation to see his work for myself." "Peggy, he is an incredible physician, and his patient evaluations are through the roof. We feel very fortunate to have him here. I was ecstatic when I found out the hospital was building a branch in Erie and that he would be the Chief Pediatric Surgeon. Jaiden and Peyton are two of the best Residents we have ever had. And Richard is the best we have had at doing workups on patients before they begin treatment." "Al, that is good news to a mother's ears. Jaiden, Peyton, and Richard have worked extremely hard at their craft." "Believe me, Peggy, it shows."

 

"Would it be possible for my wife and me to get together with you for dinner tonight?" "Al, we already have plans to eat at Tony's Italian Restaurant. We would be glad to have your wife and you join us for dinner. It will be an experience you will never forget. You can meet my ten grandchildren and watch them eat spaghetti." "Ten grandchildren, Peggy?" "Yes, nine boys and a beautiful little girl. Five boys are Peyton's and Jaiden's, and the other four boys and the little girl are Charley's and Dale's children. They were all born on the same day this past June a year ago."

"What time should Marva and I meet y'all at the restaurant?" "We are having dinner there at seven this evening, barring no emergencies." "We'll see y'all at seven." "Great, Al; I look forward to seeing the two of you."

 

At seven sharp, everybody walked into Tony's. The children were bouncing around at the prospect of getting their favorite skety. Al and Marva were getting a kick out of watching the children. Jaiden handed the waiter a note asking him to play along with a joke he would pull on the children. The waiter smiled and nodded at Jaiden to let him know he would play along with the trick.

 

The waiter got everyone's drinks and brought them to the table. Then he asked everyone what they would like to eat. Peyton said the children would have spaghetti with the children's sauce. The waiter looked at Peyton and Jaiden and said, "Sirs, I am so sorry, but we are out of spaghetti. Being the fearless, self-assured boy he is, Nathan pointedly said, "SKETY, Da, SKETY!"

 

Dr. Mom, Al, and Marva started laughing as she looked at Al and said, I told you!" "Yes, you did, Peggy. Is Nathan always that bold?" "24-7, Al." Wait until he gets his food. Then, Jaiden and Peyton will show you something even funnier."

 

"The waiter said he would see what the cook could rustle up for the children. The adults would get an Italian marinated Ribeye steak with a side of broccoli and pasta. The children were angry, thinking they wouldn't be getting their favorite skety.

 

The waiter brought the children's food out on a cart with plate covers to avoid them seeing what they would be eating. The covered plates were put in front of each child before the covers were removed. When the children finally noticed they were getting their beloved skety, they started clapping their hands and giggling. Jaiden looked at Al and said, "That's how we know our children take after Mom. She does the same thing when she gets happy about anything."

 

"Jaiden slipped Marva a note and told her to ask Nathan Robert for a taste of his skety. When she did, Nathan got a spoonful of his skety and handed it to her. Then Jaiden asked, "Nathan, may daddy have a taste of your skety?" "NO!" Marva, Nathan will give a lady a taste of his food if they ask, but let a man make the same request, and the answer is always the same. He is definitely the lady's man in our family." "Jaiden, that is too funny!"

 

When everybody had finished their meal, Al got out his wallet to pay for his meal. He was shocked when the cashier told him his meal was covered with the groups. Al looked puzzled when told that.

 

Then, when the cashier told him to turn around and look at the mural on the wall, he was surprised. "Jaiden, Peyton, is that you, your brothers, and your children in the mural?"

 

"It is Al. Tony is the children's Godfather and benefactor." "Benefactor, Jaiden? How so?" "Each child has a one million dollar scholarship plan to attend any college of their desires." "You have got to be kidding me!"

 

"Not at all, Al. Peyton, Dale, Charley, and I have achieved so many firsts at our Al-Ma Matre. The attention we got helped put Tony's restaurants on the national map. As a result, he has made millions on the growth of his businesses. He considers our sons his nephews and Dale's and Charley's daughter his niece. He is always doing something nice for the children."

 

"Google our names, and you will understand our situation. Just please don't mention what you read to anybody. The attention we got was all but unbearable."

 

"We were so anxiety-prone that Mom got a prescription and gave Peyton and me one pill each. We slept for a day and a half before we woke up. Now, if a news crew wants to interview us for anything, they have to go through some friends we made at Fox News."

 

"Jaiden, couldn't Peyton and you have simply hired an agent?" "We could have, Al, but we would have to pay for that service. Fox News runs interference for us and doesn't charge us for doing that."

 

When the crowd got to the Riley-Reynolds-Jacobs-Anderson home, they all went to the deck to have coffee and knishes Dale made. Marva raved at the pastries and told Dale he would have to show her how to make them. He told her he would be holding a class at the synagogue for the ladies in Hadassah, and she was welcome to attend. Marva said she would be there.

 

Al took his I-phone out of his pocket and Googled the guy's names. He was shocked at what he read and showed it to Marva. The way she held her mouth agape revealed her surprise at what she, too, read."

 

"Jaiden, the four of you guys are barely 26 years old, and y'all have a Nobel Prize in Education?" "We do, Al. It started with Peyton getting a teacher in the middle school fired for verbally harassing and demeaning the students. By the time everything started to calm down in Erie, we discovered our efforts caused changes in the entire US educational system. The US President submitted our names to the Nobel Committee without our knowledge, and they awarded us the prize. We traveled to Europe to accept it."

 

It had gotten dark, and the backyard was lit up like a football stadium. The children played until they were exhausted and ready for their nightly bath. Jaiden and Peyton changed into their bathing suits and a tee shirt and invited Al and Marva to go upstairs with them and watch the marvel of the children playing in the shower.

 

When they saw the immense size of the children's rooms and their showers, they were astounded. Then, when the dads started to catch the children to bathe them, all the adults were howling with laughter. Anyone who knows the children would not be surprised that Nathan Robert was the most challenging and last child to catch and bathe. Nathan Robert is, without a doubt, one in a million. Finally, when the children were put in their beds, Peyton and Jaiden changed clothes and joined the other adults on the deck.

 

Jaiden, after seeing you, Peyton, and your brothers with your children, I understand now why you two are so good with your patients. The four of you are incredibly good with your children." "Thanks, Al; the lady sitting to your right and Peyton's parents are single-handedly responsible for teaching us how to be good parents."

 

Peggy said, "Al, Jaiden is being very gracious right now." "No, Mom, I'm not. What I said is true - and you know it. I paid attention to your ways and methods as I grew up, and I was intent on repeating both with my children, and so was Peyton." "Jaiden, don't make me cry." "Mom, if you do, you deserve to if for nothing else than being the best Mom in the world." Dr. Mom's eyes became red and glassine.

 

"Well, guys, it's 9 pm, and Marva and I need to head home so we all can get some rest before tomorrow." "Al, thank you for joining us for dinner tonight and coming by the house for some fellowship; it was delightful for all of us." "Jaiden, thank you and your mother for inviting us. We had a lot of fun. To get to know you and Peyton and what makes the two of you click so well was an absolute joy for Marva and me. We're going to have to get together again before your mom heads home." "We will, Al; thanks for coming."

 

"Mom, this was an incredible night!" "Yes, it was, Jaiden. I haven't seen Al in over twenty years, and I was surprised he remembered me so well. I know you guys have to work tomorrow, so why don't we all go to bed and get some rest; it has been a long day for the four of you."

 

"I think that is a good idea, Mom.' Jaiden kissed his mom good night, locked all the doors, cut on the burglar alarm, and then grabbed Peyton's hand and headed to their bedroom.

 

Peyton went into the bathroom and drew a warm bath in the jacuzzi after Jaiden locked and closed the bedroom door. When the jacuzzi was full, Peyton went into the bedroom and got undressed.

 

"Peyton, will you do me a favor?" Yes, Babe, I will." "Please turn around and put your hands on the dresser." So Peyton did that, and Jaiden said, "Sweetheart, your fanny is just as cute today as it was the night I first saw you naked; it is still the cutest bubble butt I have ever seen. Now turn around for me." Peyton turned to face Jaiden, who then said, "I sure do wish we had some donuts." "Jaiden, even if we did, we would still have to have a bath first; come on before the water gets too cool!"

 

For a change, Peyton got in the tub first and had Jaiden sit between his legs and lean back on his chest. Peyton wet his chest with the warm water, soaped his hands, and began rubbing Jaiden's chest.

 

A few minutes later, Peyton noticed Jaiden wasn't talking, that he was breathing deeply, and had apparently fallen asleep. He gently bathed Jaiden, rinsed him off, and then let the water out of the tub. "Sweetie, wake up for just a minute and let me dry you off. Then we can crawl into bed and cuddle while you go back to sleep.

 

When the two got into bed, it didn't even take a minute for Jaiden to fall into a deep sleep. Peyton laid there, held Jaiden's hand, and thought to himself, "how much more could I be blessed?" He fell asleep and awoke the following morning, still holding hands with Jaiden. What a night it had been!